The astronomer, Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) first observed the Moon on November 30, 1609. Like most scientists, Galileo kept a journal of his observations and in 1610 published, Sidereus Nuncius (The Starry Messenger). His book made him famous and earned him the position of mathematician and philosopher to the Medici family of Florence, Italy. Biblioteca Nazionale - Florence, Italy